My classroom oozes confidence. All eyes are on Prisoner Fahey. He inflates his chest, spouts off how he’s oh so ready to take the GED Exam, and if it weren’t for HIS TEACHER holding him back, making him do the required class assignments, he’d be done—“d – u – n”—done. He’s that confident; confident with a capital K.Confidence doesn’t necessarily mean having a plan, sticking to it, and knowing that in the end it’ll work out. No sir. Confidence is making the right play at the right time and triumphantly talking about it in a controlled environment. It’s robbing a gas station and getting away with the loot, or snatching an old lady’s purse for her debit/credit card. Confidence is achieving your goal, even if the gas station attendant whips out his own handgun and aims for your torso; He’s a working stiff, Prisoner Fahey explains, a wannabe-hero but really a zero; he wouldn’t dare squeeze the trigger, and even if he did, he’d most definitely miss, he’d wet his pants. That’s confidence!
As for that old lady with the throaty scream, she can be out run, no problem there. Prisoner Fahey says, Focus on the direction you’re heading, blend in with the crowd. Confidence is knowing that most people will not make a citizen’s arrest. It’s knowing that even if you get caught, even if you’re standing in a criminal line-up, the victim will develop sudden amnesia and select the wrong person. And if for some fluke of a reason the victim does select you, confidence is realizing that you will get out of prison one day. Confidence is, after all, playing the odds to the nth degree.
Prisoner Fahey puts more thunder into his voice. "Just put me on the test,” he demands.
“When you’re in the chow hall,” I ask him, “how do you eat your hot dog?”
This throws him off, rattles him to his very core. He may or may not have a clue where I’m going with this. All eyes are on him. He tenses up. His voice starts to crack. “What’s that got to do with my taking the GED Exam?” he asks.
“Some guys,” I reply with a quick shrug of my shoulders, “will eat their hot dog from the middle.”
6 comments:
Confidence is...thinking you're smarter than the whole room and after it being pointed out that you're not, thinking, without doubt, you still are. Now that prisoner Fahey can spell phonetically will the GED test be given to him printed that way?
Confidence or braggadocio? The former is a quiet comfort in knowing that you have what it takes to puzzle a way out of the maze. The latter is merely attempted social positioning...
Every year I'm amazed at the students in my classes who have sky high self-esteem without ever once having accomplished anything. OF course, it helps if you blame all your failings on someone else.
The "dun" & confidence with a "capital K" cracked me up. The rest kind of disgusted me (until you unsettled him. You GO, JR!) Nice fish, btw!
At first, I thought you were referring to a SHRUB ;->
Confidence: A certain self assuredness.
Cockiness: When you are stupid enough to hold yourself in higher esteem that you should. And--it shows.
Enjoyed. Donnetta
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